The prologue! - Next will be the story i guess?
“Good morning buddy” I call out to Peter, my pet goldfish as I walk over to the cabinet to grab some fish feed. “Today is going to be a good day, I applied for that job you suggested and now I’ve got an interview at 4.” Peter swims happily around in his bowl. I sprinkle his breakfast around so that he has to swim for every bite, he does like his exercise.
My name is James Tanner, I’m 23 years old and I’ve been unemployed for about 3 months now and money has been running tight. I don’t have any family as I was raised in the orphanage. I don’t have any friends either, even though I used to.
The past 7 years of my life have been a bit of a haze. After graduation I tried at various studies, but never really stuck through anything. I got lazy and started looking to entertainment to occupy my mind and let life slip me by. Having always been a bit of a wallflower, I was soon forgotten by my friends and didn’t really mind the extra free time.
Thank god I have Peter though, he’s been a great support this whole time. Having someone to talk to makes a big difference, he even motivates me to go out and get my life together. Today we’re making big steps!
Peter splashes around in his bowl, lunging at his food. “Right, breakfast..” I respond. Noticing some blue spots on my bread I sigh deeply “Looks like I’ll have to head to the store, I’ll see you in a bit”. Not bothering to shower or shave before I head out, I throw on my coat and head down to the store.
Grabbing some bread, eggs and milk I head over to the counter trying to avoid eye contact with that snotty kid staring at me. The cashier flashes me a look as I line up in her queue, but looks away before I can even blink. “Ugh” I silently groan, she must think I’m some sort of creep.
Keeping conversation to a minimum I pay by card so I don’t have to wait for her to count the change, and briskly walk back home. Entering the halls I see that my apartment door is partially opened, so I set down my groceries and warily head on inside.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Hello?” I call out into my hopefully empty apartment. “Oh, mister Tanner hello! Don’t be alarmed, it’s just me Gustav” I hear as I’m greeted by an elderly man with a friendly smile. The landlord, could today get any worse? Seriously?
“Yes, I’m actually here to collect rent since you’re 2 weeks behind. I also decided to inspect the apartment and noticed you had a goldfish? You know there’s a no pet policy right?” Gustav says as he scowls at me.
“Umm.. yeah sorry. Money has been a little tight, if you could give me abo…” I trail off as Gustav’s words hit me. “What do you mean had?” I ask the landlord. “Well since it’s just a goldfish I decided I wouldn’t make too big of a fuss over it. But I can’t have you being an exception to the rule so I had to flush it.”
While he’s talking my eyes are already trailing to the now empty fishbowl and they grow wide in realisation of what he’s talking about. “As long as you don’t get a new one I don’t care if you keep the bowl, you can use i-“ He’s cut off by my fist breaking the cartilage in his nose.
It feels weird, I’ve never been a man of confrontation, nor violence. Actually I usually just put up with whatever people throw at me. But this is different, my body was moving before I realised my own intent. Normally I would consider how to best avoid any problems for myself and just take the fast way out of the conversation, even if I was angry or sad.
As these thoughts were floating through my head, trying to make sense of this situation and my response to it, the landlord had been long beaten into a pulp. But my body kept going, beating and wailing without resting or thinking. Neighbours came, they too were beaten into paste.
My hands were bloody, bone was showing but I did not feel it, I did not see it. My world was shattering, and Peter wasn’t here to help me through it. After some time, though I cannot say how long the police came. What they found was a bloody man in fetal position surrounded by gore.
“Sir are you all right?“ he shouts at me but the words are static to me, they reach my ears but not my mind. He moves to help me up, the second he touches me my body moves again, like an undead. I try to hurt the policeman as much as I can but my hands are broken and can’t do much damage.
“STOP! Or we will shoot!“ They shout at me again, why are they shouting? Why can’t everyone just leave me alone?? Some loud noise assaults me and I start feeling my body again slowly. It starts in my stomach, a single spot of awareness slowly spreading. The next one starts in my shoulder. My awareness is coming back but it hurts, the spots feel like they’re on fire.
The noise comes again, louder this time, like a skin slapping explosion. And next thing I know i'm drowning in darkness, and silence.. For who knows how long.